Ford Focus

To summarise...

So after cutting all the autoexpress flannel and contradictory statements that seem deliberately written to sound like a 1980's Top Gear presenter... It has a small boot, a poor ride, cheap plastics and is ugly. Nuff said. Bye bye focus as no. 1 seller.

By JamesRiley on 18 January, 2011, 9:25am

Ignore the stupid shite above

It even says in the review. Focus does ride better and handles better. Open the table and it is quieter. Nothing more to say. The golf is a car that looks like a coffin. It is setup like a poof chair anyway around town. Great for 60 years old or JamesRiley.

Of course the ford is stiffer any decent drivers car is and still it is better on the move than the golf.

Golf is boring and expensive. And not really talented on the road.

Ford is fugly and the interior is really better than the red one in this pre production model. Even better than the golf which is not a great task really. Check the golf dash on the lower departments. Cheap scratchy shiny not greatly put together especially on the columns front on the dash height when you open the doors. Go look at a 1-series...or the new ford...Everything is better.

The astra is a nightmare inside. Really not their greatest moment. Door finish is unacceptable...Plastics are hard throughout even the "soft touch" ones...Not of good quality.

I don't even think these are the best cars in the class especially if you analyze each sector. VW trails BMW in quality, ford trails it in road behaviour...Astra trails everything. Screw them.

By giorikas81 on 18 January, 2011, 12:46pm

It still looks like an updated Kia Rio to me.

By IronChicken on 18 January, 2011, 2:25pm

Ordinarily giorikas81, I'd be chiding you for comparing the new Focus with BMW's budget (lol) range. The fact is though that Ford's pricing for the Focus is now perilously close to the modest 1 series models.

Unbelievably, despite my misgivings about Vauxhall, out of the three cars reviewed here it's the Astra that floats my boat.

By sgtgrash on 18 January, 2011, 5:36pm

ford bmw

You are right, even though I can't say for sure if ford's street price after discount, would be close to the 1-series as it is now.

Fact is, cars like this are stupidly overpriced as 2.0 lt+ heavy diesel with top trims.

An astra does need a 170hp diesel motor and fancy technologies to play its part well. It is not an SUV or an audi A6.

Nor the focus needs radar on the front to break if it costs 2000 pounds...They are irrelevant to the target group of the cars.

From all the movement on this sector of cars the one significant movement is the 1.2 Tsi motor from VAG. Nothing more.

Propels the golf etc to about 10 secs for 100km/h
Makes for a much lighter car especially in the front (more than 100 kgrs lighter from the 1.6 tdi)
Much more refined
About 1250 kgr for an octavia 1.2TSi!!!
Very good mpg in real life conditions about 42 mpg...
Low price. About 5000+euros less from a 1.6 Tdi for instance.


All of the above, the ford or astra can't match either way because they have put out motors rivalling the 1.4-1.8 TSi engines of the past, dragging prices upwards.


Ford will be competitive when its 1.1 turbo motor lightens up the focus and makes it affordable.

Even the next 3 series and c-class plan to use 1.2 3cylinder turbo engines!

By giorikas81 on 18 January, 2011, 6:44pm

From profile I think the focus looks good,

By koupekid on 18 January, 2011, 9:14pm

I agree with koupekid. From profile I think all Fords look good. It's perhaps a pity that the designers don't focus (pun intended) more on the front and the rear!

By lairdfp on 26 January, 2011, 9:58am

Everyone will have one!

Don't get me wrong, it's different to the 2 previous Focuses. For starters that front bumper sort of reminds me of Darth Vaders mouth piece on his helmet! The arse looks like a Kia. Inside looks pleasant and spacious like the Mk2 Focus to which I prefer for looks and handling! i have the MK1 Focus and it's a cracking car.

Although having said this with what i've seen the prices they are asking is Golf money! For the money i'd rather buy a year old Mondeo Titanium X with all the toys.

But though it's a mixed review on the old styling department, every other car you'll see is a focus, everyone will have one........well maybe in 6 months when Ford Dealerships and knocking them out a Managers discounts rates.

By dan123 on 1 February, 2011, 9:15pm

Ford has blown a massive opportunity in opinion. The styling is tragic, too busy, too fussy and does not work. The boot is too small, the wrap around rear lights are so out of place and that gapping mouth is so tragic it should adorn the front end of a Peugeot! Yes it will ride well and be discounted to high heaven and there will be many on the roads. However there would have been many more had the styling department done a decent job.

As for the Golf - just plain dull Germanic styling, that just the outside in inside would make me depressed on a long journey!

The astra is rotten to drive and unless you go for an SE or above the interior is cheap. sadly Vauxhall claims of a dynamic driving experience is marketing hype it pitchs and rolls in bends the the Focus would glide around. Only the rear end looks good in the metal.

So perhaps we should spend our cash elsewhere. Ok so nothing French with cheap build quality, nose diving depreciation, woeful dealer network and reliability issues. So perhaps a Volvo C30 SE for the same money, better built, better residuals and high spec even on the base model you'll get ECC (Electronic Climate Control), 16" alloy wheels, DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction
Control), passenger airbag cut-off switch, power windows, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, information centre, floor mats, a CD player and
an aux. input for MP3 players. if you don't mind 3 doors! Or the Alfa Juiletta great looking car but not as engaging to drive as the Focus. So I'm told, this is the only car I've mentioned, that I have not driven.

Or the poster who mentioned buying a year old Mondeo Titanium X for the same money, it's a fantastic car let someone else pay the depreciation and you'll be laughing!

By Focus_your_mind on 3 February, 2011, 11:11am

selling my bmw 120d

fed up with arthur daleys in expensive suits treating its customers SO badly - so I'll be buying the focus, I enjoy a good car, reliability and s0d the image

By Teifion2 on 9 February, 2011, 6:37pm

Sticking with ford

Fords new ecoboost engine (150) beats BMW 318i in terms of performance and emissions, i'll be sticking with the Focus for now. Even in Titanium X spec it trounces the 318i in terms of price, by some margin.

I'm gonna treat myself to the sat nav and get an estate version. If the reports are correct regarding refinement i'll be v happy.

Ford have upped the ante on this car and given customers what they want, seems no one wants to pay the premium though...

By zak2011 on 14 February, 2011, 10:53pm

"It still looks like an updated Kia Rio to me"

Great powers of observation, Iron Chicken!

By mjgray100 on 22 May, 2011, 2:04am